Selfies have been overruling our everyday lives since 2010, when the iPhone 4 introduced a front facing camera. Since then, Snapchat, Instagram, and various other forms of social media have encouraged the posting and hashtagging of these “self-portraits”. In 2013, the Oxford dictionary named “selfie” the word of the year. What started as a fun, harmless way to capture memories, has now turned into an obsession, and even in some cases, a disorder.
The big question: is taking an unnatural amount of selfies is a mental illness? American Psychiatrists have officially confirmed that taking selfies is a mental disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and they fill a gap of intimacy. In some cases, comments left upon selfies can lower your self-esteem. Taking selfies and feeling accepted is now a human tendency, something we cannot even live without.
Not only is social media encouraging us to take more selfies, even the travel industry is encouraging selfies. Some hotels offer “selfie packages”, like the Mandarin Oriental Resort in Paris and various Marriott's around the world, even offering prizes for visitors who post their selfies. Luxury resorts are reaching out to Instagrammers with huge followings and freebies in exchange for publicity.
Selfie taking on phones, simply using your front facing camera, is completely harmless. But, just recently, a selfie stick, which is practically a dangerous way to take selfies that can fit more than just two or three people in the screen, has been introduced to the world. Selfie sticks have been banned from Disney World after multiple complaints from both guests and the cast. "We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family, and unfortunately selfie-sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast," a rep for The Mouse told the Washington Post. In Lake Tahoe, which is located in California, the guides advise tourists not to take selfies with their backs facing bears. A spokesperson for the park says that this poses a “safety issue” for the animals.
Now what about real life stories? Sure, everyone says, “Oh I take selfies but it’s not like I take thousands a day…” But, honestly, who knows? The story of Danny Bowman, under the category of “Bizarre Addictions” on Mirror.Co.UK, has the caption “Selfie Addict took TWO HUNDRED a day-and tried to kill himself when he couldn’t get a perfect one”. Thankfully, he was saved by his mom Penny, and is now fighting back for a normal life through intensive care and therapy to get over his technology addiction, OCD, and a disorder by the name of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The Body Dysmorphic Disorder, called BDD for short, has many life-threatening symptoms. People who are affected by BDD find themselves harping on the physical attributes they have that they dislike for hours a day. They may avoid leaving their houses and even attempt suicide.
On the other hand, people who have physical attributes they love or are very proud of, use selfies to get attention from the opposite sex. There is no need to go into detail on this one, but often times we see girls and guys using their body in selfies on social media. This is an abuse of selfie-taking and should be illegal. In society nowadays, it is accepted and people don’t even care, but that should and will change.
Overall, taking selfies to capture and freeze a moment with friends or family or that gorgeous beach sunset is totally okay. But, when it comes to putting yourself at risk and others in a dangerous position, think twice before you whip out your phone to snap a cute pic. There are times when selfies are appropriate and times when they are not so much. The next time you are sitting and eating dinner with your family, try to restrain from selfieing with your straw in your mouth. You’ll thank me later.